Could our bullpen be better in 2024 despite the loss of Bautista?

[Sports Guy]

28 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

The overall record in 1 run games looks to be a dropoff.  
 

Do you think the save rate can improve at all?

It can but not sure how much that will matter.

These offseason should be about making this team better.  And by better, that doesn’t mean they win 102 games. They could win 92 games next year and be a far better team.

No, this offseason should be about increasing your margin for error or, in other words, your run differential and it should be about being able to be strong in high leverage situations.

Kimbrel was fine to add. But that shouldn’t be the only BO addition for high leverage. A guy like Stephenson should also be added.

And we should be getting a legit starter..not Michael Fozzie Bear or Gibson/Lyle clone part 3…a guy that you actually believe can be a difference maker in the playoffs. 
 

Instead, it’s going to be marginal bs, field a worse team and hope the young players develop and hit better because our owner is a POS who won’t do anything to help the team.

 

[Moose Milligan]

12 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

It can but not sure how much that will matter.

These offseason should be about making this team better.  And by better, that doesn’t mean they win 102 games. They could win 92 games next year and be a far better team.

No, this offseason should be about increasing your margin for error or, in other words, your run differential and it should be about being able to be strong in high leverage situations.

Kimbrel was fine to add. But that shouldn’t be the only BO addition for high leverage. A guy like Stephenson should also be added.

And we should be getting a legit starter..not Michael Fozzie Bear or Gibson/Lyle clone part 3…a guy that you actually believe can be a difference maker in the playoffs. 
 

Instead, it’s going to be marginal bs, field a worse team and hope the young players develop and hit better because our owner is a POS who won’t do anything to help the team.

 

Agreed. Add Stephenson and I’d be pretty positive about our ‘24 bullpen. 

[Jim'sKid26]

Yes. If they pitch less innings. 

That means the starters have to pitch better and pitch more innings. 

[ChosenOne21]

I think the bullpen has a great chance to still be good next year, but I can't imagine it will be as good without Bautista. 

[Just Regular]

Yea, this one kind of boils down to are you hopeful DL Hall could be like Felix Bautista?     I believe a power ranking of all Orioles 2023-24 relievers, '23 Felix will be #1 - the raw talent fueling that performance feels like even a tick beyond the tremendous gifts Hall had/has.

I do think Kimbrel, Hall, Wells and I hope Stephenson could make up the rest of the Top 5.     Yennier Cano for me is basically on the Cedric Mullins shelf, where even 80% as good in Year 2 would feel like a successful consolidation.

A Stephenson add from here would be more of a pure joy and excitement kind of move.     You can still construe Kimbrel in a long-term cost containment context, but adding another strong '24 option at a going rate would be clearer evidence of using the tool of money competitively in pursuit of a '24 championship.

[waroriole]

If Wells and Hall are legit back end guys, and we get good years from Perez and Coulumbe, it might be. I still won’t feel as safe with a lead as I did this year. You can’t expect first half Cano ever again, but the guy from the second half is still a serviceable middle innings RP. 

[emmett16]

On 12/9/2023 at 10:24 AM, Sports Guy said:

It could but it’s not likely unless Hall is an elite guy out there.

This was my first thought as well.  If Hall is elite, the pen has a good chance to be better with even just a little improvement from everyone else.  

If Wells is out there the entire year, that is a boost as well.  Finally, Povich and McDermott will play wildcards in this thought process.  Povich's 12.1 k/9 & McDermott's 13.0 k/9 could make a major impact to the pen down the stretch.  

[NedFromYork]

Wells has proven it twice already that he is a very good late inning reliever, prefer him in the rotation however, so not against adding another very good reliever.  Would also like to see at least one of Hays, Santander, Mouncastle traded to make more room for Cowser and Kjerstad at bats. Ortiz has to be on the team right?  He or Urias as the PT/utility guy?